After an off-season of hope this one was a bitter pill for Bills fans to swallow. The Bills were coming in with a wave of momentum and the Jets looked to be a mess on and off the field. he Jets came to play and they shocked the Bills early, going up by 21 points in the 1st quarter en route to a 48-28 opening day win. To many in Buffalo the bubble seems to have burst already. Maybe they aren’t who we thought they were but the truth is that they have a heel of a lot of time to make up for it. Here are some individual thoughts on the game:

Spiller ran past the Jets defense on the way to 169 yards on Sunday

Regarding CJ Spiller, the lone bright spot for the Bills. It looks as if CJ has finally figured out the tempo of the pro game. If he continues to progress and improve as he has he could truly be an elite offensive weapon. Earlier in his career Spiller was doing too much dancing and spending too much time finding the hole. Spiller is shifty and quick. Once he finds a hole he has to attack it. That’s exactly what he’s started to do. Between last week’s performance in relief of Fred Jackson and the last 5 games he started last year for the injured Jackson he is averaging just a hair under 7 yards a carry. That’s a huge number for an NFL running back. Spiller stills ahs some growing up to do but the Bills can win without Fred Jackson if they have to, provided other things go right. Spiller will not be the problem.

Where is the new and improved defense? Dave Wannstedt was hired to fix the Bills defense. Clearly the Jets had an effective offensive game plan. Use quick drops before the 4-man front can get to you and take advantage on the Bills young CBs who were playing 5-6 yards off of the receivers. So where were the adjustments. Despite Sanchez getting rid off the ball too quickly for the 4-man front to get to him the Bills brought extra guys only 4 times the entire game. Stephon Gilmore has a reputation for being a physical corner yet he was giving the Jets receivers a cushion. When you hire a coach with Super Bowl winning experience you except Super Bowl caliber coaching. Wannstedt needs to bounce back this week against the Chiefs.

Sanchez excelled throwing the ball on Sunday

Give credit where it’s due. Mark Sanchez was ridiculed since the day the Jets acquired Tim Tebow. He had a lot to prove. The entire team did but Sanchez in particular. And he put his money where his mouth is. He shook off a very bad INT on the opening drive and played a great game. He spread the ball around and threw the ball confidently. For weeks we heard about a QB controversy leading up to week 1. Entering week 2 there is no quarterback controversy. This is Mark Sanchez’s team (for now). The Jets locker room has become a happy place (for now).

Fitzpatrick was Jekyll on Sunday. He still has the potential to be Hyde. There is no way to mince words. Ryan Fitzpatrick single-handedly put the Bills in a deep, early hole in the 1st quarter with two bad passes. Then, while they still had a chance to come back in the 2nd half, Fitzpatrick gave up a pick-6 on the 1st drive. He’s had bad days like this in the past. Sometimes he’s bounced back, sometimes he hasn’t. Losing David Nelson is a big blow but Donald Jones seems ready to step up and rookie T.J. Graham will get some important time early. I said this last year but the Bills should really work tight end Scott Chandler more into the offensive game plan. He’s a tremendous mismatch for most linebackers and safeties with his 6-7 frame. And he catches pretty much everything.

The Bills offensive line is a good unit. I know what that says about Fitzpatrick’s day but the truth is that Fitzpatrick’s mistakes weren’t because he had people in his face all game. They opened up huge holes for C.J. Spiller. The middle of the line is stout with center Eric Wood and guard Andy Levitre. Rookie Cordy Glenn held his own at left tackle.

Football isn’t everything. Marcell Dareus had a bad day on Saturday in the Meadowlands but it pales in comparison to what him and his family are dealing with now. On Sunday Marcell’s brother Simeon Gilmore was shot and killed in his native Alabama. Gilmore was 20. Obviously football seems very small in light of the tragedy and while Marcell is a big part of the Bills team I hope that he takes all the time that he needs to deal with this tragedy. Condolences to the family of Simeon Gilmore.

The Bills open the home docket of their schedule this Sunday in Buffalo against the Chiefs.

The Buffalo Bills announced a 5 year contract extension for WR Stevie Johnson today. Johnson will get paid $36.25 million over the contract that will keep him in Buffalo through his 31st birthday. Johnson’s 5 year agreement comes a few months after the Bills signed both QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and DT Kyle Williams to 6 year contract extensions. They also signed starting RT Erik Pears, K Rian Lindell and LS Garrison Sanborn to 4-year extensions last month. Last season they extended DE Chris Kelsay and SS George Wilson to multi-year deals as well. Why is this news? Because the Buffalo Bills have long been notorious for not keeping their players beyond their rookie contracts.

Fitzpatrick and Johnson will anchor the Bills offense for at least the next 5 seasons

Astoundingly the Bills have signed only 1 first round pick to a second contract since 1997. That was WR Lee Evans who was traded to the Ravens two years into his 4 year extension. 11 players – RB Antowain Smith, CB Antoine Winfield, DE Erik Flowers, CB Nate Clements, T Mike Williams, RB Willis McGahee, QB J.P. Losman, SS Donte Whitner, DT John McCargo, RB Marshawn Lynch, and LB Aaron Maybin – were all cut, traded, or signed away in free agency after being drafted in the first round by the Bills. Their track record hasn’t been too much better with players that were late round picks that they developed on their own either. Late round gems like CB Jabari Greer and DT Pat Williams were lost in free agency. T Jason Peters, a perennial Pro Bowler in Philadelphia now, was traded away when the Bills would not meet his salary demands. Long story short is that this has been a franchise that has been spinning their wheels for over a decade.

That’s why Stevie Johnson’s re-signing was significant. As mentioned before, Stevie is the 6th starting player re-signed by the Bills since Buddy Nix took over as GM in early 2010. There were 6 starters in the Bills starting lineup last opening day with contracts expiring at the end of the year. Only two, T Demetrius Bell and TE Scott Chandler, remain unsigned. Buddy Nix said at his introductory press conference on New Year’s Eve in 2009 that he wanted to “draft ’em, develop ’em, and keep ’em here.” So far he has been true to his word.

Williams' 6 year deal will pair him with fellow DT Marcell Dareus for the next half decade

For the first time in what seems like ages the Bills won’t enter draft weekend simply trying to fill the holes that they opened up by losing players in the off season. It’s all about building depth, which is what good teams do on draft day. It’s something that the Bills haven’t done in over a decade. Now they can also go into the summer and start negotiating with the next batch of pending free agents which includes RB Fred Jackson, G Andy Levitre, and FS Jairus Byrd. They no longer have the stigma of a team that doesn’t keep their players. They no longer have the stigma of a team that doesn’t go the extra mile to build a winning team. Will it finally start equating to wins in Buffalo? Maybe, maybe not. One thing that is certain is that they seem to be up there swinging and it’s definitely better to go down swinging then to go down looking.

They say that you should wait to grade a draft class after they’ve played three seasons so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. We’ll take a look at the Bills’ 2009 draft and take a look at what Dick Jauron accomplished in his final draft with the team. Remember that current GM Buddy Nix was brought on as an adviser for this draft after leaving San Diego. Anyway, here is the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Bills 2009 draft, starting with the ugly:

1st Round Pick, DE Aaron Maybin

1st Round Pick (11th Overall) – Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State – Ouch. That about sums up the Bills taking Maybin with the #11 overall selection in the 2009 draft. The Bills were desperate for pass rush after they struggled when Aaron Schobel went down with an injury in 2008. Jauron was obsessed with smaller, faster players and Maybin’s measurables were off the charts. The worst part about this pick is that Maybin only had one good year at Penn State, his red-shirt sophomore season. Him and his agent apparently guessed that there would be a coach or GM who would jump on his potential and they guessed right. Maybin was a colossal failure in Buffalo. In two seasons he couldn’t manage a sack and recorded only 24 tackles. He was cut during the 2011 preseason and signed with the Jets. After being cut by the Jets before the season began he was re-signed when veteran LB Bryan Thomas was lost for the year. He managed to get 6 sacks and 11 tackles for the Jets but disappeared in the last month when the Jets were fighting for a playoff spot. The fact alone that Jauron and co. left Brian Cushing, Brian Orakpo, and Clay Matthews on the board at this pick means that this pick should get the lowest possible grade. The fact that he produced with the Jets last year makes the pick even worse. Grade: F-

2nd Round Pick, C Eric Wood

1st Round Pick (28th Overall) – Eric Wood, C, Louisville – The Bills acquired this pick when they traded Jason Peters to the Philadelphia Eagles. Wood started the first 10 games of his career at right guard but suffered an unfortunate injury in the 10th game of the year against Jacksonville when he broke his leg. Wood came back into camp near 100% for the 2010 season and started 14 of the 16 games that year. During the season he transitioned to the center position, which he played back in Louisville. Wood’s production picked up as he recovered from his leg injury and as he eased into his transition from guard to center. He was playing at an above average level by the end of the season. He was penciled in as the starting center for the start of the 2011 season and his play went from above average to elite early on. He was playing like one of the best centers in the league but unfortunately his season was cut short due to injury for the 2nd time in his 3 year career. He suffered a torn ACL in the Week 10 game against the Cowboys when he attempted to make a tackle on an interception return. He missed the last 7 games of the season. Injuries are part of the game and Wood’s two injuries were fluky yet serious damage has been down to his legs already. When healthy he looks to be an elite center for the Bills. If he can come back strong from his second season ending injury in three years, a big if of course, then he will set the Bills up at center for years to come. Grade: B+

2nd Round Pick, FS Jairus Byrd

2nd Round Pick (42nd Overall) – Jairus Byrd, FS, Oregon – Byrd was a hybrid cornerback/safety at Oregon and didn’t seem to be a huge need for the Bills where they drafted him. Nevertheless Byrd was penciled in as the starter for the Bills at free safety from day 1 and turned in a rookie season that garnered him 2nd place in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He had 45 tackles along with 9 interceptions and 11 passes defensed. He got a Pro Bowl spot for his success in his rookie year. Byrd was back in 2010 and started all 16 games at free safety. He did not fair nearly as well in his 2nd season however. He was a liability in the run game and was disappointing in the pass game. He finished the year with only 1 interception and 2 passes defensed to go along with his 89 tackles. Byrd make a big leap forward in the 2011 season, returning to form in the passing game and becoming an even bigger presence in the run game. He finished the season with 98 tackles, a sack, 3 interceptions, 8 passes defensed, and 3 forced fumbles. Byrd was as productive a defensive player as you could be and would have received All Pro honors if it wasn’t for established guys like Eric Weddle and Ed Reed getting the votes. Byrd looks to be a fixture in the Bills defensive backfield if the Bills can extend his contract by the end of next season when he becomes a free agent. Grade: A-

2nd Round Pick, G Andy Levitre

2nd Round Pick (51st Overall) – Andy Levitre, G, Oregon State – The Bills traded a 3rd and 4th round pick to move back to the 2nd round to get Levitre and I’m sure that they are glad they did. Levitre started at left guard from day one with the Bills and has literally not stopped since. He has started all 48 games thus far in his pro career. He started 16 games as a rookie and was probably the Bills most consistent offensive lineman in his rookie year. He came back in 2010 and started 16 more games, including a few at left tackle when they grew thin there. He again appeared to have a very good year yet head coach Chan Gailey apparently didn’t see the fire he wanted to in Levitre so he demoted him a few times during the 2011 preseason. Despite that Levitre came in and once again started all 16 games for the Bills. He started a few games at left tackle again and had to fill in at center for one game. Levitre’s best work came at left guard. He is one of the premiere pulling and screen blocking guards in the NFL already in only his third season. He would have likely been a surefire Pro Bowler if he played for a winning team. Again he is the anchor of the offensive line and could make a premiere trio with Eric Wood and Kraig Urbik if the Bills can secure Levitre with a long term contract. Grade: A+

4th Round Pick, TE Shawn Nelson

4th Round Pick (121st Overall) – Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Mississippi – Nelson looked like a huge value pick at the time but he just couldn’t pan out for the Bills. He was active for 12 games in his rookie season, catching 17 balls for 156 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t come close to matching that in his sophomore effort (after being suspended for the first 4 games due to a failed drug test), catching only 3 balls for 25 yards in the 5 games that he was active in 2010. He didn’t make it out of camp for the Bills in 2011 and like Maybin he caught on with the Jets for a few weeks but couldn’t last the season there either. Grade: D+

5th Round Pick (147th Overall) – Nic Harris, LB, Oklahoma – Harris lasted just his rookie year before being cut by the Bills. He was picked up by the Carolina Panthers for the 2010 season but was out of the league by the start of this season. Not a good 5th round pick by any stretch. Grade: F

6th Round Pick, CB Cary Harris

6th Round Pick (183rd Overall) – Cary Harris, CB, USC – Harris’ biggest claim to fame will probably be intercepting Peyton Manning twice on the last day of the Bills 2009 season. He was converted to safety and saw sporadic action in his two seasons with the Bills, tallying 6 tackles and 2 passes defensed to go along with the 2 INTs. He was cut by the Bills after 2010 and was signed by the Giants but was not active for any games this season. Grade: C-

7th Round Pick (220nd Overall) – Ellis Lankster, CB, West Virginia – Lankster saw action in 10 games for the Bills in his rookie season. He had 5 tackles and a pass defensed. Lankster sat out the 2010 season and was brought back in 2011 by, you guessed it, the New York Jets and was active for 7 games and recorded 6 tackles. Grade: D

All in all when you get past the Maybin disaster the Bills did well to secure three high end starters with the ensuing three picks. Nelson looked like he had potential but could never put it together and it was disappointing that at least one of the last three defenders taken couldn’t stick around for at least three seasons. Next year we will see how the 2010 draft class, Buddy Nix’ first as GM, matures as the Bills look to get into the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

Ugly. Even that is an understatement. The Bills came into this game knowing that they needed a win to keep pace with the playoff teams in the AFC and they flat out laid an egg. This was the worst possible performance that you could imagine and the worst-case scenario. Can they come back from this? Maybe so but an uphill climb got even steeper after the Bills performance yesterday. Here are my thoughts:

I was just thinking that a reason that the Bills haven’t been successfully running screens and draws the past few weeks is that they didn’t have Andy Levitre, an outstanding pull guard, on the interior of the line. Well unfortunately I will get my wish for the rest of the season as Levitre will move to center for the rest of the year after Eric Wood was lost to a torn ACL (suffered while making a tackle on an INT). If there was ever a time for Demetrius Bell to step up, be healthy, and play well, the time is now.

Scott Chandler runs great routes, has good hands, gets open, and makes difficult catches. Please explain to me why he is not targeted more often?

Next week the Bills needs to run Fred Jackson more. Then the week after that they need to run Fred Jackson more. Then the week after that they need to run Fred Jackson more. Get my point?

C.J. Spiller…what to say about this guy? You really want to root for this kid but he has just got to start making more plays. The thing is that you need to continue to use him like you did on Sunday. With Donald Jones likely to be hobbled by that high ankle sprain for the rest of the year Spiller is the only deep threat you’ve got. You need to keep a defense honest and keep the safeties from guarding the short routes and crowding Fred Jackson in the run game.

Defensively the Bills are a mess. The problems seem to be starting with the outside linebacker position where there is too much inexperience. I think a lot of fans and media types need to start sending their apologies to Chris Kelsay as he is clearly a huge part of the Bills defense, both with what he brings on the field and off it.

Leodis McKelvin can cover any receiver, he just can’t make a play on the ball. Get it together kid, you could be great.

Alex Carrington, Kelvin Sheppard, and Jairus Byrd all seem to be improving yet you see no better results from the defense. You start to look at scheme in situations like that.

Terrence McGee is still solid as can be in run defense but he is struggling mightily against the pass. It would be nice to get some young blood in there, hopefully Aaron Williams can make his return soon.

Tony Romo never looked better. Seriously it was embarrassing. DeMarco Murray you can see because he is such a tough, physical back. But letting Romo look like he did? Unacceptable.

So it’s now put up or shut up time for the Bills. They have a must win game coming up in Miami. They need to win at least two more road games if they are going to make it to 10 wins. This has to be one of them. They need to get back to basics and take care of a team that they are clearly better than. Than worry about the Jets. Now just take care of business,

A lot of people like to do a list of their mid-season all-stars to feel self important and I am no exception. This is my All-AFC East Team – 11 starters on offense, 11 starters in a 3-4 defense, and 4 special teamers. Today will be the offense and kicker and tomorrow I will unveil the defense and punter. Here is the AFC East First Half All-Pro Offense (1st team write up, second team in parenthesis)

Quarterbacks

1st team – Tom Brady, New England Patriots (212 of 321, 2,703 yards, 20 TDs, 10 INTs, 66.0 comp. %, 100.0% QBR) – It’s been another banner year for Pats QB Tom Brady. He hasn’t been efficient as he has in years past, including last year when he had an unreal 36/4 TD/INT ratio. But his stats for the first half of the year are as gaudy as anyone’s in the league and he’s leading a Patriots offense that is one of the best passing attacks in the league. He’ll be in the MVP conversation at the end of the year again

2nd team – Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills (170 of 260, 1,930 yards, 15 TDs, 9 INTS, 65.4 comp. %, 92.3% QBR) – Fitzpatrick has emerged as the Bills’ long term answer at QB, a stature made official with a contract extension signed two weeks ago. Fitzpatrick is once again on pace to put up numbers that only rival that of Jim Kelly and Drew Bledsoe in the past twenty years for this Bills franchise.

Running Backs

1st team – Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills (150 car. for 803 yards, 5.4 avg., 6 TDs, 1,194 total yards) – Jackson is far and away the best halfback in the AFC East. He’s already got 1,194 total yards halfway through the season, which is on pace to eclipse O.J. Simpson’s single season Bills record. He’s also on pace to crush his previous career high for rushing yards in a season. He is the workhorse behind a potent Bills offense and like Brady will be a candidate for NFL MVP at the end of the year.

2nd team – BenJarvus Green-Ellis (108 car. for 452 yards, 4.2 avg., 5 TDs, 501 total yards) – Green-Ellis narrowly beats out Reggie Bush because he’s been more in touches (and scores) and Shonn Greene because he is more consistent in average per carry. Green-Ellis is the workhorse in a Patriots offense that uses many different pieces.

Fullbacks

1st team – John Conner, New York Jets (7 car. for 26 yards, 3.7 avg., 1 TD, 35 total yards) – Conner is emerging as a top fullback in the league this year. He’s been by far the most versatile fullback in the division this season, contributing in the rushing, passing, and blocking games.

2nd team – Corey McIntyre, Buffalo Bills (No stats) – McIntyre hasn’t been utilized as a ball-handler in the Bills offense this year but he is a physical load. He is a grinder who opens up huge holes for Fred Jackson in the short yardage and goal line situations and Brad Smith in the wildcat formation.

Wide Receivers

1st team – Wes Welker, New England Patriots (66 cat. for 960 yards, 6 TDs, 42 1Ds) – Welker has been off the wall this season and is on pace for his best season to date. He is one of Tom Brady’s security blankets and is virtually impossible to cover with Brady throwing him the ball. Oh, and he’s a free agent at year’s end so don’t look for him to slow down any time soon.

1st team – Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins (46 cat. for 644 yards, 2 TDs, 31 1Ds) – Marshall edges out Stevie Johnson for the second WR starting spot on my team. He’s made headlines for what he’s said off the field so for this year but what he has done on the field has been nothing to sneeze at.

2nd team – Stevie Johnson, Buffalo Bills (42 cat. for 523 yards, 4 TDs, 28 1Ds) – Johnson was edged out by Marshall for first team honors but makes a fine first receiver off the bench. Johnson is one of the best route runners in the league.

2nd team – David Nelson, Buffalo Bills (35 cat. for 402 yards, 3 TDs, 19 1Ds) – Nelson beats out Deion Branch for the last WR spot on the team with a bit more consistency. Nelson has seen fewer targets but has more receptions. Nelson’s hands are as sure as anyone’s in the league and as such a big target he gets to balls that other receivers can’t.

Tight Ends

1st team – Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (44 cat. for 596 yards, 6 TDs, 34 1Ds) – Gronkowski is a beast in the passing game, plain and simple. He is versatile, he can block and catch, but he is most dangerous in the middle of the field where his big body and athleticism make him incredibly difficult to defend.

2nd team – Dustin Keller, New York Jets (29 cat. for 436 yards, 2 TDs, 21 1Ds) – THE AFC East tight end pool is deep with Aaron Hernandez and Scott Chandler also getting consideration but Keller is just two big a part of the Jets offense to overlook. He is their best receiver through the first half of the season.

Tackles

1st team – Jake Long, Miami Dolphins – Long’s Dolphins might only have one win but Long is still among the best left tackles in the game in 2011. Reggie Bush’s 4.9 yards per carry would help speak to that.

1st team – Wayne Hunter, New York Jets – Hunter is probably not the best tackle on his team (see below) but he is the best right tackle in the division with Sebatian Vollmer splitting early time with rookie Nate Solder.

2nd team – D’Brickashaw Ferguson, New York Jets – Ferguson is definitely not a high first round disappointment for the Jets, playing again at a extremely high level while guarding Mark Sanchez’s blind side.

2nd team – Sebastian Vollmer, New England Patriots – Vollmer has been plagued by health problems and has dealt with the emergence of fellow right tackle Nate Solder but is consistent as ever when he’s in there.

Guards

1st team – Andy Levitre, Buffalo Bills – Levitre has been a monster this season for the Bills. He’s done all that’s been asked of him, including kicking out to left tackle the past two games for the Bills’ injured tackles. Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked just twice in those two games.

1st team – Brian Waters, New England Patriots – Waters was a great veteran pickup by the Patriots just before the start of the regular season. Waters has stabilized a line that was inconsistent at time for the Pats last season.

2nd team – Logan Mankins, New England Patriots – Mankins is having another great season, just not one as good as Andy Levitre’s up in Buffalo. Mankins is the anchor for the Pats offensive line.

2nd team – Vernon Carey, Miami Dolphins – Carey has not skipped a beat moving inside from right tackle to right guard this year, playing at his usually high level and being a beast in the run game.

Centers

1st team – Nick Mangold, New York Jets – Mangold missed a few games earlier this year due to a high ankle sprain but he is by far the best center in the NFL when healthy. He is dominant virtually any time out there. He was sorely missed during his injury, a huge blow to the Jets offense

2nd team – Eric Wood, Buffalo Bills – Wood is playing at a Pro Bowl level in his first season back at his college position. He would probably a 1st teamer if he was in any other division, or Mangold wasn’t in his. He might be the best pull center in the league.

Kickers

1st team – Nick Folk, New York Jets (12-13 FGs, 23-23 XPs, 50 long) – Folk has been the most consistent kicker in the division, only missing once and being 2 out of 3 from over 50 yards out.

2nd team – Rian Lindell, Buffalo Bills (13-15 FGs, 25-25 XPs, 49 long) – Lindell has had his usual consistent season with 13 makes, including a game winner against the Patriots. Unfortunately he will miss the next 4-6 games for the Bills with a shoulder injury.

If someone told you at the beginning of the year that one of these teams would be 4-1 and one would be 1-4 by time they left Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday evening you wouldn’t be surprised. But how about if they told you that the Eagles would be the 1-4 team and the Bills would be the 4-1 team? Surprise. The dream team is anything but and the Bills have shocked the NFL with their fast start in the AFC East. Here are my not so quick thoughts on the game:

Anyone could have told you that the key to beat the Eagles would be to pound them with Freddie Jackson but that still doesn’t make actually watching it all the more impressive. A team that can’t tackle going up against Fred Jackson and his offensive line (more on them later) is a recipe for disaster and trust me, disaster is a word being used often in Philly these days.

It’s not often that you can say that they fell for the oldest trick in the book but boy did the Eagles fall for the oldest trick in the book.

Donald Jones’ high ankle sprain really hurt the Bills offense as the game went on. The Eagles defense stacked the box and played everything underneath because they didn’t respect the speed of the Bills receivers. We’ll see if Gailey can adjust to the injury with a week of preparation. Something tells me if they don’t look outside for some help in the passing game that C.J. Spiller’s role would increase.

Defensively the Bills brought more pressure than they have all season long and kept Michael Vick on his toes for the most part. For the second straight week it seemed like they were getting a much better push in the first half than they were in the second half which is a bit troubling, especially when you look at the Bills time of possession stats for the year. Still you can see some of the guys like Merriman, Dareus, Moats, etc. look like they are about ready to break out. An immobile Eli Manning may be able to speed up that process.

The Bills might have the best safety tandem in the league with George Wilson and Jairus Byrd. Byrd plays the run tough and has laid some absolute lumber in the past few weeks and Wilson has been a revelation in the pass defense. He also plays the run pretty well near the line of scrimmage.

While we are on the subject, and I feel like I’m beating a dead horse, but does anyone really miss Donte Whitner or Paul Posluzny, two high round draft picks, when they see George Wilson (undrafted as a Wide Receiver) and Nick Barnett (free agent after being cut by the Packers)?

It’s encouraging for the Bills to see young players like Kelvin Sheppard, Alex Carrington, and Chris Hairston contributing to a win like they did yesterday.

It was another good day for Drayton Florence and Leodis McKelvin however it was another messy day for the 3rd and 4th men on the depth chart. You have to wonder how many yards this defense will actually give up with Terrence McGee back in the lineup and healthy.

And now just a few words about the offensive line of the Buffalo Bills. First let’s take a look back in time, to the pre-season to be precise. Part of the reason the Bills season so far is such a surprise is that so many people were convinced that this offensive line was so bad that their offense would be a train wreck. I went back to some of the big NFL previews to say exactly what they said about the Bills coming into the year. ESPN’s Matt Williamson called the Bills offensive line “very problematic.” Pro Football Focus offered this analysis – “Put it this way, every single starter on the Bills offensive line who played at least 250 snaps had a negative grade last year. Factor in that they haven’t really made any moves to upgrade a unit that ranked 24th last year and they’re left counting on development to get them up to scratch. That’s always an iffy strategy that can sometimes come about as a result of not being able to get the guys (such as Tyson Clabo) they wanted to.” RealFootball365 was almost embarrassed for the unit with this critique – “O-Line – the team’s Achilles Heel, the line has been inept for so long that it is embarrassing. Wood at center is solid as is Levitre at guard the rest of the line is up in the air. Pears, Bell, Rhinehart and Urbik strike fear in no one, they are average at best! Wang and Hairston are projects, for some reason Hang has fallen out of favor and the rest I won’t even mention. I’m sure Nix will be watching the waiver wire on Saturday.”

Now for the facts – Through five games Fred Jackson is averaging 6.4 yards per carry. The team as a whole is averaging 4.9. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been sacked three times in five games. Three times. In Five games. Give Fitzpatrick and Chan Gailey all the credit you want but results are results and those are damn fine results thus far. Eric Wood and Andy Levitre in particular are Pro Bowl worthy.

No matter how you slice it the Bills are a 4-1 team and the Eagles are in the NFC East cellar at 1-4. Who knows what the Bills will do going forward but they faced another tough test this week when they face the Giants at the Meadowlands. The Eagles season is on the brink with a huge divisional game against the Redskins next week. Until then I’m sure there will be plenty more talk taking us into Week 6.